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Rocky Raccoon 100 2022

Rocky Raccoon 100 Race Report 2022 Rocky Raccoon 100 miler Is a 5 loop 100-mile race in Huntsville state park in Huntsville, Texas. This is about an hour north of Houston. All 5 loops are the same and go in a clockwise direction. It is a popular ultramarathon with around 400 people showing up to race the 100 miler and additional people running the 100k. It has gotten so popular that they have the 50k/50-mile race the following weekend. I’ve never raced in Texas and figured I’d get out of my comfort zone. I’ve had multiple friends run the race, and they all spoke highly of the experience. So I signed up and was selected in the lottery. It lined up ideally three weeks after Coldwater Rumble 100 and two weeks before Jackpot 100. Well, it’s going to be a busy month of racing. But after the last 2 years of pandemic race cancellations, I am ready to race again. The week before, I had neurotically checked the weather because Texas had a huge rainstorm. The good news was the rain stopped on We...

Coldwater Rumble 100 2022

 Coldwater Rumble 2022 Race Report Coldwater Rumble is a 100-mile race through the Sierra Estrella Mountain Range in Goodyear, Arizona (outside of Phoenix). It is five 20 mile loops; run it washing machine style (clockwise, then counter-clockwise, then clockwise, etc.). It is put on by Aravaipa Running, which also puts on a ton of great running events of all distances; most notable for me are Javelina Jundred and Cocodona 250.  This is the third time I have run the course. In 2017, I finished 1st place overall. Hard to believe, but I suppose when I was younger, I was faster. Also, it was just one of those perfect days. In 2019, I DNF’d it at mile 50 after having some significant stomach issues that I couldn’t overcome. I wanted to redeem myself and finish it strong, so the taste of the DNF wasn’t my last experience on these wonderful trails. The course looks like an hourglass and has three aid stations. The first is the Start/Finish line aid station. The second is the Coldwate...

Redlands Fresh Air Challenge

  Redlands Fresh Air Challenge, Andy Glaze edition On a sunny California winter day, I ran 55 miles throughout Redlands, connecting all the trails and parks that the Redlands Conservancy maintains. Background The Redlands Conservancy puts on the Fresh Air challenge to encourage Redlanders to go outside and walk, run, hike, horseback, and bike through our city and its amazing trails. It is a fundraiser that helps the Conservancy maintain the open space trails and provide programs in outdoor education. The Redlands Conservancy is a non-profit corporation with the mission to preserve all those aspects of Redlands built, agricultural, and natural environments that make Redlands the gem of the Inland Empire – both for today and for Redlands’ future residents and visitors. Cut-stone curbs, rock walls, expansive vistas, lovingly cared-for historic homes, thoughtfully stewarded natural habitats, intriguing historic downtown, and dense green rows of citrus trees invite the curious to take t...

Best of San Diego 100 miler 2021

Best of San Diego 100 miler race report 2021 TL:DR version. I ran the Best of San Diego 100 miler and tied for 1st place with Ray Sanchez in a time of 23 hours 9 minutes. I ran the Best of San Diego (BOSD100) 100 miler on 11/20/21. The race is considered a FAT ASS run. FAT ASS is the name given to runs that are frequented by experienced runners and characterized by the phrase "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps." The race director Ed Wang makes it clear that this is, in fact, FAT ASS when you sign up. Background. In 2016, I was running through the jungles of South-Eastern China during the Mt. Gaoligong 100 miler. I was around 85 miles into the race and was looking for the sun to rise. My headlamp was flashing low battery, and I had no spare battery. The sun was supposed to have risen 10 minutes earlier, but I found myself in a deep valley with thick foliage above me. No light was penetrating. And minutes later, I was in darkness. I got out my cellphone and started using the...

Badwater Salton Sea 2021

Badwater Salton Sea 2021 Third place at Badwater Salton Sea. 18-hour 40ish minutes. Team 'Chasing Who?' Ray Sanchez, Kenny Ringled, and myself.   Badwater Salton Sea is a team race, not a relay race, but a race in which you run with your teammates the entire time. The  route covers 81 miles (130km) from Salton City (elevation 234 feet / 71m below sea level) to Palomar Mountain, the almost tallest mountain in San Diego County (elevation 5500 feet / 1676m.) Nine of the 81 race miles pass through Anza-Borrego State Park on a single-track trail known as the California Riding and Hiking Trail from near Borrego Springs to near Ranchita, creating a race route that is a mix of road and trail. There is a total elevation gain of over 9000 feet (2740m). This proves challenging in the rollercoaster of ultrarunning because your highs might be your teammate's lows and vice versa. Typically, the race is run in May but was rescheduled this year because of, well, you know. Ray and I have ...

Cocodona 250 race report

  There's a new Coconino Cowboy in town, and their name is Cocodona 250. The TL;DR version of my race report is that I finished the Cocodona 250 race in 119 hours and 6 minutes. I got 86th place overall. Cocodona 250 was my first 200+ mile mountain race. I ran it solo without crew or pacers. It was a transcendental experience and allowed me to suffer on a previously unknown level. I started the race with big goals and everything planned out. Every plan and goal I had or made during the race went to shit except one; I will finish this race. Background Cocodona 250 is a 255-mile point-to-point running race in Arizona. It takes runners from Black Canyon City up into the Bradshaw Mountains – an area steeped in gold mining lore – to the historic town of Crown King. The course then traverses more of the Bradshaws, up and over Mount Union, and snakes down into Prescott, where it cuts straight through the town on Whiskey Row and out into the iconic Granite Dells. From Prescott, the course ...